Month: July 2011

Categories
News

Will Cloud9 compete against Google in the browser, search, and app wars?

Cloud9

This should be taken as nothing much more than a rumor, but recent domain name registrations hint at a new player in the browser, search and app space: Ajax.org’s Cloud9.

On Friday July 22, eight domain names were registered at MarkMonitor that used the word ‘Cloud9’ and ‘CloudNine’ in the name.  MarkMonitor is a brand protection company used by over half of the Fortune 100 businesses.  

Cloud9, for those that may not know, is a development-as-a-service for Javascripters and other developers founded in 2010 that has received millions in venture capital.

This is only speculation that Cloud9 is behind the registrations, because the owner of each of the domain names is hidden behind DNStination, a Whois privacy service.

Here’s a look at each new registration:

http://whois.domaintools.com/cloud9application.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloud9browser.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloud9browsing.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloud9searching.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloudnineapplication.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloudninebrowser.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloudninebrowsing.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/cloudninesearching.com 

I’ve reached out to Cloud9 for comment and will update this post if I hear back.

Cloud9 Analytics, Inc, is another possibility, but less likely since the company focuses on sales forecasting and pipeline management applications.

Categories
Disputes National Arbitration Forum News

DC Comics wins dispute over ManofSteel.com domain name

Man of Steel logo

Man of Steel logo

On July 19, 2011 a single-member Panel of the National Arbitration Forum ruled that the manofsteel.com domain name be transferred from its current owner to DC Comics who had filed a domain dispute in late June.

The panelist, James A. Carmody, Esq., said that manofsteel.com is identical to DC Comics’ trademarks — “MAN OF STEEL” (registered in 1999) and THE MAN OF STEEL (registered in 1987).   The panelist also found that because the domain name resolved to a website which displayed links and advertisements, that the respondent’s use of the domain name was neither a bona fide offering of goods or services, nor a legitimate noncommercial or fair use.  The panelist also found that registration and use of manofsteel.com demonstrated bad faith.

The respondent in the dispute, Coni c/o LBR Enterprises, failed to submit a response.

Warner Bros and DC Comics are set to release “Man of Steel” in December 2012.

TheManofSteel.com, which is not owned by Warner Bros or DC Comics, is up for sale at Sedo for $300 by its current owner.

The full decision can be read here.

Discussion: BleedingCool.com, SuperHeroHype, Comic Book Resources, and BuyDomains

Categories
Disputes National Arbitration Forum News Video Games

ModernWarfare3.com owner revealed, Go Daddy’s Privacy removed during UDRP

Modern Warfare 3 reveal trailer

The Battlefield 3 fanboy who has fueled the drama between Electronic Arts and Activision by re-directing ModernWarfare3.com to Battlefield.com has been officially revealed.

Originally hidden behind Go Daddy’s Domains By Proxy (DBP) service, it appears the registrar giant doesn’t want to get involved in the domain dispute recently filed under the UDRP by Activision against the owner of ModernWarfare3.com.

Today, Go Daddy’s DBP has removed the privacy service on the domain, revealing the identity of the ModernWarfare3.com owner who has entertained Call of Duty and Battlefield fans with his online antics for weeks.

So who is this person who got the attention of gaming publications, fans and of course, Activision?

The registrant is Anthony Abraham of Florida according to the latest Whois records furnished by DomainTools. 

Anthony, who has been hush hush since the beginning, will likely be receiving calls and e-mails from reporters over the next few days.

Now, if you’re wondering why the privacy service was removed all of the sudden, according to the Domains by Proxy website, cancelling the privacy service is just how it handles UDRP matters.

“DBP routinely receives notices from its affiliated registrars informing it of the filing of various administrative proceedings under the Policy.  Upon receipt of such notices, DBP cancels its privacy service for the domain name that is the subject of the Policy dispute and notifies its customer about the cancellation of service.”

Discussion: Kotaku, Joystiq, Game Rant and Machinima

Categories
News

One down, one to go in Twitter domain name dispute over typos

twiter

In early June, Twitter filed a dispute with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over the domain name twiter.com.  Days later, Twitter added the .biz to the same case. 

The case was eventually suspended, then terminated.  But not before Twitter was able to get at least one of the domain names.

The microblogging company took control of twiter.biz this past week and a new case  (Case No. D2011-1210) targeting just twiter.com has been submitted to WIPO.

Domain Name:                                 TWITER.BIZ
Domain ID:                                   D42038125-BIZ
Sponsoring Registrar:                        MELBOURNE IT LTD
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID:                13
Registrar URL (registration services):       whois.inww.com
Domain Status:                               clientTransferProhibited
Registrant ID:                               C131048869463234
Registrant Name:                             Twitter, Inc.
Registrant Organization:                     Twitter, Inc.
Registrant Address1:                         795 Folsom Street
Registrant Address2:                         Suite 600
Registrant City:                             San Francisco
Registrant State/Province:                   CA
Registrant Postal Code:                      94107
Registrant Country:                          United States

Winning the case if it proceeds to a panel, should be easy.  Twiter.com remains online. 

The web address re-directs visitors to a scam site confusingly similar to Twitter.  A survey takes visitors through a series of questions promising free prizes.

Discussion: Media Bistro

Categories
News

Blockbuster domain deal for $4MM cash plus equity stake just closed escrow

Rick Schwartz

Rick Schwartz has just tweeted that the agreement to sell the domain names Property.com and Properties.com for $4MM USD plus equity stake in the buyer’s new company, closed escrow.

Minutes ago Rick posted the following message to his Twitter page on @DomainKing: “Property.com and Properties.com closes via Escrow.com. Transaction took 3 weeks from start to finish and initiated via Linkedin contact.”

Both domain names are hidden behind Domains by Proxy, Inc, a Whois privacy service provided by Go Daddy.  Up until yesterday, both names were registered to Rick Schwartz and his eRealEstate.com.  Here’s a look at the Whois records which were updated in the last 24 hours:

Registrant:
   Domains by Proxy, Inc.
   DomainsByProxy.com
   15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
   Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
   United States

   Domain Name: PROPERTIES.COM
      Created on: 19-May-97
      Expires on: 15-Jul-21
      Last Updated on: 15-Jul-11

   Domain Name: PROPERTY.COM
      Created on: 11-Feb-94
      Expires on: 15-Jul-21
      Last Updated on: 15-Jul-11

The $4MM sale for the pair of names makes it one of the biggest publicly reported sales of 2011.  The single domain name social.com sold earlier this month for $2.6MM.  In 2009, Rick Schwartz (aka the ‘Domain King’) also sold candy.com for $3MM.

The blog DomainGang was the first within the domain industry to report the news of the impending sale on July 4th after spotting the story on Stardom.  Rick Schwartz had also tweeted news of the deal.

(Photo of Rick Schwartz (left), Rick Latona, and Howard Neu at TRAFFIC 2009 via RicksBlog.com)